Trial delayed for Lakeport man accused of shooting at utility workers

LAKEPORT -- A judge Monday granted a defense request to postpone the trial of a Lakeport man accused of shooting at a pair of utility workers last summer.

Dennis Leroy Cato, 64, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to seven felonies, including two counts of attempted murder, stemming from an Aug. 29 incident during which authorities say he shot at two men working at his Hill Road East home.

Cato was set to stand trial in two weeks, but his public defender, Komnith Moth, asked for a delay to allow the defense additional time to explore a potential expert witness.

Judge Richard C. Martin approved the request and rescheduled the trial for April 17.

Cato, who remains in custody at the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility, will next appear in court March 25 for pretrial matters.

Jeremy Walsh is a staff reporter for Lake County Publishing. Reach him at 263-5636, ext. 37 or jwalsh@record-bee.com. Follow him on Twitter, @JeremyDWalsh.